Eclectic Tastes
by texasbella
Summary: Isabella Swan has made her place in life, writing an exclusive column for a popular foody magazine. What she doesn't have is love. Chef Edward Masen comes from an embittered past and has had to fight for the simple way he lives. When she shows up to interview him, will they find that an appreciation for food is the only thing they have in common, or will there be more?
1. Chapter 1

**The world of Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to come up with different ways to cook her characters.**

Thank you to Mid Night Cougar for betaing and to my pre-readers: JA Mash, TrueEnglishRose, Nicole, reyes139, nmydreamz

Here we go with a new short story... 12 chaps total which include a short epi at the end... sit back and enjoy. Hope ya'll don't get too... hungry...

If you're not legal in your country... don't read.

**Chapter 1**

**BPOV**

I loved my job.

I truly did.

I was a taste tester, by definition, someone who sampled food or drink for its quality. But I took it so much further beyond taste.

I used my skill and "certification" to write my column for Eclectic Tastes Magazine. Flavor is All Around... if you just use your senses was my motto and the title of said column.

It was a monthly publication which allowed me two weeks of travel related research, then one week back home to write up the column and choose the best visual images from my trip. The fourth week was the editor's week to put it all together and get it to the printer. I got that final week off, but had to be on call in the event that any part of my column was questionable or needed further work done on it.

The premise for my part of the magazine was for me to travel to all parts of the world, trying everything from hand crafted cheeses to fried intestines to high end wines.

The coldly beautiful LumiLinna SnowCastle in Finland, where it is so cold your nipples can cut glass, making their hot and spicy braised reindeer a welcome burn on the tongue, as it warms you from the inside out. It has the perfect atmosphere to snuggle close to your loved one as you feed each other spoonfuls of the SnowQueen's fruit soup. A heavenly concoction of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with vanilla mousse.

The sensual darkness of Dans le Noir?, in New York, leaves you dining in complete blackness, forcing you to smell, and then taste your food, with a raw pureness. Their menu, color coded in white for the Chef's surprise, blue for their seafood selections, green for the vegetarian options and red for the meat lover, is one that will have you longing to return repeatedly. More than willing to hand over your sight in exchange for the culinary assault on your nose and palate.

I admittedly have dined at the various Dans le Noir? locations around the world, the one in Kiev being my favorite, as they included the option of a massage to enhance your dining experience and I was all about enhancing the senses.

Another favorite was at Hedonism, in Jamaica, an experience completely opposite of the ice palace encounter.

The primal beat of the reggae drums in the waning evening. Your body hot and sweltering from being kissed by the radiant sun all day long. Then the edible feast would begin. Jerk chicken and habanero rice served to build up the fire and heat until you are glistening, sweat pooling between your naked breasts, your nipples tingling, yearning for attention.

When you think you can't handle it anymore, the sweet, creamy and cold creations are brought from the kitchen. Raw cane sugar, coconut, mango... they all coat your tongue, helping to quench the heat that was overtaking you from the main meal.

In short, I sought out locations that used one or more of the senses to heighten the dining experience, and then brought those experiences to the readers through my words.

The one drawback to my job?

Loneliness.

I had the world at my feet and the best foods being served to me, and while I shared my travels with my readers, I didn't have that "someone special" to share them with me. I always dined alone, my ever present notepad at my side, or recorder in the case of Dans le Noir?, to make my notes.

My life was all about the column.

It was with this depressing thought that I found myself packing my carry on yet again. Never a suitcase, as I didn't want to mess with having to check it. No, I had packing a week's worth of clothes and two weeks worth of toiletries down to a science. The hotel laundry service took care of making my clothes acceptable for the second week.

And of course, my trusty PicoBong products had their reserved spot in the bag. At times, it was tempting to give into the flirtations being thrown my way at the bar or in the main dining area, but I knew better.

I wanted more than a quick fuck. My toys were fine for that. I was holding out for my , with a killer sense of taste, to be the one to feast on my body and capture my heart. As much traveling as I did, I was bound to find him... someday.

Old fashioned? Pipe dreams?

Probably.

But a girl could dream. Even if she was pushing 35.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**EPOV**

I stared in disbelief at the open letter in my hand.

I'd busted my ass for this day.

Fighting my way off the streets after I'd run away from my abusive father, James, and crackwhore of a mother, Victoria. I don't think they ever came looking for me.

I'd hit rock bottom. After six months of scrounging trash bins behind restaurants and sleeping in dark alleys, I had begun selling myself on the street corners of the shadier parts of Seattle in a desperate attempt to survive.

Two weeks in, I'd been lucky, no one had asked me to do more than satisfy them orally... men and women alike. I'd manage to make a few hundred dollars, and while it had seemed like a lot to my 16 year old self, I'd known it wouldn't last long and had returned to the corner that fateful night.

The night that Jasper Whitlock picked me up, took me back to his place... and changed my life.

He set me up in the spare bedroom, bought me new clothes and made sure I ate well. It was all payment for services rendered, working in the kitchen of the small diner that he and his wife owned, Alice's Diner, named after his wife.

I'd started on dish duty and as time went on, worked up to sous chef under his tutelage. The time in between found me doing everything from taking out the trash to actually being a waiter so that I understood who for, and why, we took such great care in the kitchen.

The elderly Cullens, Carlisle and Esme, who came in after church every Sunday, always getting a plate to go for Mama Platt who couldn't make it out of the house anymore.

The studious Rosalie Hale, who appeared every evening, her baby in the carrier next to her sleeping soundly as her school books were spread across the table, ordering a grilled ham and cheese, a glass of milk and a bowl of steamed vegetables for a total of $7.50. She was close to my age and I bonded with her, understanding the difficulties of trying to make it on your own so young.

Her little boy, Royce, was adorable... and all she had left of her highschool sweetheart, Emmett. He'd gone off to war, as he was two years older than her, and had graduated before they'd found out she was pregnant. She found out about Royce the same day she found out that Emmett had been the victim of a suicide bomber. Unwed, pregnant and still in school, her parents had turned their back on the shame she'd brought them, but she'd persevered, had her son and stayed in school.

The Chaney's, Angela and Ben and their five kids, who arrived like clockwork, every other Friday, on payday. Their one indulgence they allowed themselves on their meager salaries, the family date night where no one had to cook or do the dishes afterwards, it was their night off.

Over the years, Jasper made sure I understood that we were feeding real people, with real lives and real problems, just like my own. They could go anywhere, but they chose to come to Alice's for the quality of the food, and more importantly, the quality of the friendly service they got there. It was the atmosphere, as much as the taste, that made the diner so successful, and had us going home each night exhausted, but happy.

He also made sure that I got my GED and began college, through online courses. It had been slow going, but I eventually got my AA degree, and then the Whitlock's really surprised me. They sent me to Chicago, to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, as a 'thank you' for being the wonderful son they never could have.

At the age of 28, I received my diploma that proudly read, Edward Masen, Chef.

Two days later, Jasper had a heart attack. Alice didn't have to ask me more than once to come take over the diner. It was the least I could do, fancy diploma be damned, the diner could not close down. I didn't even flinch when I had to politely decline the offers that had begun coming in, as the newest and fanciest restaurants sought out the top five graduates of the latest class, especially the top graduate, me.

I'd returned to Seattle, to Alice's, and taken over the kitchen with gusto. Revamping the menu into a gourmet comfort blend of selections that were welcomed with open arms, and gradually turned the diner into a fancy eatery, without losing the down home feel of the place.

All of the original recipes stayed on the menu, I just added upscale alternatives.

The hamburger meatloaf slathered in ketchup got a counterpart of a meatloaf of blended sirloin, lamb and pork, topped with a sage and portobello mushroom gravy.

The spaghetti and meatballs in red sauce, which remained a favorite with the kids, got the partner favored by the adults of a Fusilli lunghi topped in a green olive marinara sauce with fennel sausage and topped with fresh grated asiago cheese. Served with a side of caesar salad, of course.

Country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of peas became panko crusted, pan seared turkey filets with mashed red potatoes, skins on, and a light brown butter gravy made from the drippings with a side of sugar snap peas.

The dessert menu, however, remained untouched. You don't mess with perfection. And Grandma Whitlock's pie and cake recipes were just that... perfect. Especially her Texas peach cobbler with Jack Daniel's caramel coated pecans and homemade vanilla ice cream. And yes, the pecans were shipped in from Texas, hence the name.

According to the letter in my hand, my 'gourmet comfort food' had caught the attention of Eclectic Tastes Magazine and they were sending none other than Isabella Swan, who wrote my favorite part of the magazine, to spotlight my restaurant and my food.

At the tender age of 30, I'd hit the big time, in my book anyways.

Isabella Swan was going to allow me to cook for her, and hopefully, I'd be good enough to make it into her magazine. Where she had a way of weaving words into something sinfully delicious and hunger inducing. Now I just had to wait a week to see what she wanted me to fix... and finally get to put a face to the woman who wrote such magical imagery.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**BPOV**

Knowing that my next assignment was going to be the little diner with the pecan peach thingy that my cousin, Angela, had been raving over for several years, I'd picked up a five pound bag of the things while I was researching a piece in Grapevine, TX. I wasn't sure why, other than the fact that I'd heard a little about the family that owned the diner and how good they were to their patrons from Angela. She hadn't missed how the kids were always served a dish of cobbler, yet the cobbler never showed up on their tab, making their family nights that much more special.

I was in Texas to research Boi Na Braza, a brazilian churrascaria that spoke to your sight as much as your taste buds. The attractive waiters, or Gauchos, who carried around skewered meats, offering to slice off as much or as little as you wanted, were just the beginning. The massive salad bar was a feast to the eyes in its own right. And the smell... simply divine. All of these came together for a taste sensation that was off the charts.

As delicious as the food was, and as amazing as the dining experience was, the trip did not require two full weeks to sample the menu thoroughly... as the whole menu was available every time you went in. So I enjoyed a couple of days doing sightseeing and shopping, and then decided I would head to Seattle early. I could get settled in and enjoy myself a little, getting to catch up with my cousin and her family before having to get to work.

Maybe I'd even slip into the diner as nothing more than a regular customer, without all the pomp and circumstance of my professional arrival detracting from a real dining experience. The more I thought about it, the more I liked that idea. And if I were honest with myself, as the peach cobbler wasn't the only thing Angela had been talking up all these years, I was curious to get a look at the chef.

**xXx**

I'd been in town for three days and it was definitely time to head to my hotel and get out of Angela's house. As much as I loved her, Ben and the kids, it was too much. I'd put the call into Lauren, my editor, and she'd assured me the room was booked and ready for me.

With a final hug and a promise that I'd stop by to see them again before I headed back to Phoenix, I climbed into my rental car and headed for the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. I was looking forward to settling in and taking a hot bath, ordering some room service, and then crashing in the oversized fluffy bed, left to sleep and wake as I wanted. Not with five little munchkins begging to sleep with "Aunt Bellsy".

Except I got turned around and lost, reminding me how crazy the streets of Seattle were with their random changes to one-way.

I'd pulled over into some small parking lot so that I could pull up Google maps on my phone and figure out where the hell I was, when I happened to glance up and see that I was parked in front of Alice's Diner. At the same moment I realized where I was, my stomach let out a loud grumble, making my decision.

I turned off the car and headed in to get some grub.

Instead of the usual tinkling bell I expected to hear when entering a business, a pleasant "Welcome to Alice's" rang through the air. Before the greeting was complete, I was hit with the aroma and I thought my stomach was going to crawl out of my body to get to the source of it.

I'd been transported back to Grandma Swan's kitchen, sitting on the stool as my short legs swung freely while I watched her cook and waited for her to give me samples. She always talked through what she was doing, trying to teach me.

I had learned the art of appreciating and discerning flavors and textures, but to this day I couldn't cook to save my life. It was a good thing I got paid to eat out.

A petite woman, with short spiky black hair, laced with silver strands, approached me. When she spoke, I recognized her voice as the owner of the welcome greeting.

"Evening," she said cheerily, "just one tonight, dear?"

"Yes, please." She nodded as she grabbed a menu and a pre-rolled napkin with silverware and told me to follow her.

There were about a half a dozen patrons at different stages of their meals scattered around the cozy dining room. The tables and chairs were mismatched, like a large family get together where you gathered from around the house and borrowed from the neighbors to make sure you had enough seating. The place settings were just as mismatched as the furniture.

It was real. It was comfort. And it was home... in a crazy chaotic way.

I was seated by a window at a small circular table with an abstract geometric tablecloth, which matched the crazy geometric walls. My hostess waited patiently as I got settled into my seat, before starting her spiel.

"I'm Alice and I'll be looking after you tonight. What can I start you off with to drink?"

"Um, iced tea sounds good," I decided.

"Sure thing, sweet or unsweet?" I gaped at her. I'd never seen sweet tea offered this far north and admittedly, it was one of my guilty pleasures whenever I had a job in the Southern states.

I raised a disbelieving brow at her. "Is it the real stuff or that instant Lipton crap?" I asked and she laughed.

"Oh darlin', everything here is real and made from scratch. A good chunk of the recipes are my late husband's family secrets and let me tell you, that man was Texas born and bred and those Southerners don't take their food lightly."

As she talked, I realized she was the Alice, the one the place was named for and I blurted that out before I could stop myself. She still had a friendly look on her face as she asked if I'd been in before, apologizing for not remembering me.

"No apologies necessary, this is the first time. But my cousin has raved about this place for years. I finally got up here for a visit and had to come check it out," I was partially honest with her.

"That's wonderful! Who's your cousin?" she asked, honestly interested.

"Angela Cheney."

"Wow! Her kids are the cutest, every last one of them are suckers for the peach cobbler."

I laughed. "I know, I've heard all about it. So much, in fact, that I actually brought some Texas pecans for you guys as I was just there a few days ago."

"Get out!" she chirped. "Are you kidding me? We just ran out. Well, the new sous in training, Seth, left them out on the counter last night and the moisture got to them," she rolled her eyes, "We've placed an express order, but it'll still be two days before we get more."

"Well, I'm glad I brought them then. Let me go get them from the car," I said, rising. Suddenly, her arms were around me, surprising me. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had human contact beyond a handshake, besides the hugs from Angela and the kids in the last few days.

"I'll meet you back here with your sweet tea," she said, and I agreed as I went to the car. A couple of minutes later, I had handed over five pounds of nuts and was now sipping on the best glass of sweet tea I'd ever had.

I might have moaned... out loud by the gleeful expression on Alice's face.

"See, you had nothing to worry about," she said playfully. "Now, what can I get you to fill that skinny belly?" she asked.

"You know what? Tea this good means I'm open to anything, and the place smells terrific, so surprise me," I replied, taking another satisfying sip of my tea.

"You got it..." she trailed off.

"Bella," I supplied my name, offering her my hand. Which she knocked away and hugged me again.

"You got it, Bella. Just sit tight and be prepared for the kitchen delights of Edward to amaze you." She waved her hands in the air dramatically as she winked, and then disappeared towards the kitchen, her arms gripping the pecans tightly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**EPOV**

Seth was a good kid, but there were times I wanted to strangle him. Of all the things he could've overlooked in the kitchen clean up last night and left out to be ruined, it had to be something we special ordered.

Yes, I could've sent him across the street to the Safeway, but those pecans weren't the same. They were small and bitter. I needed my Texas nuts, large and sweet with deep grooves for the caramel to seep down into. Once it set, I had a candied pecan that was the perfect crunchy complement to the gooey cobbler. Taste was important, but it wasn't everything. Texture played a big part in how the food was received.

Because of his screw up, the cobbler, our biggest seller, had to come off the menu for a couple of days.

To avoid throwing out almost four pounds of the pricey pecans, I was in the process of experimenting.

I'd run a bunch of the nuts through the food processor, watching them break down into a pecan butter, to which I had just added cinnamon and honey when I heard Alice enter the kitchen behind me.

I scooped a spoonful of the mixture out and spun around, spoon in hand. "Taste," I directed as she came at me with her mouth open. I couldn't decide how I wanted to use the butter and wanted her impulse reaction to it.

She swallowed and grinned. "That's fabulous... would be great swirled into a butter cake."

"Perfect idea, Alice!" I praised her, and then noticed the load in her arms. "What are those?"

She twisted side to side, like a cute little girl playing coy. "Only five pounds of pecans..."

I eyed the edge of the bag peeking out and saw the size of the pecan halves. "Texas?" She nodded. "Where did you get those? You're a lifesaver!" I exclaimed as I was already gathering the ingredients and starting the batter for the butter cake.

"I'm not the lifesaver, Angela's cousin, Bella, is." She went on to explain how this woman had been thoughtful enough to bring the pecans just because of the talking up that Angela had done for us. It just solidified in my heart why this had been the right decision for me.

"So, what did she order?" I asked, sliding the butter cake with a thick ribbon of the pecan butter swirled through out, into the oven.

Alice got a mischievous gleam in her eye that put me on alert. "She said to surprise her." I opened my mouth, and then closed it. I'd never had a customer that had never eaten here, make that request.

"She's that trustworthy of me?"

"Seems so."

"Is she some," how do I put this nicely, "woman who is, um, eager about eating?" Alice erupted into a giggle fit.

Knowing she was going to be useless to me for the next five minutes, I wiped my hands on my apron and made my way to the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the dining room. I peeked out through the little circular window, my eyes scanning the room.

When I found her, over by the window, just emptying her tea glass as she scrunched up her nose while looking into the glass as if she were surprised it was gone, I became enchanted.

She was lovely.

I watched her use the straw to push her ice around so she could stick it further down, ensuring she got every drop. It was endearing and showed me she was enthusiastic and not afraid of enjoying her food.

She was also very tiny which made me understand why Alice was bringing herself down from her giggle fit over my question. She'd just come from Texas, though I didn't know if she was from there, and she obviously enjoyed sweet tea, which told me she had a thing for Southern food.

I hoped, since I was about to go out on a limb.

"Alice, your customer is out of tea and needs a refill," I said as I nudged her out of my kitchen so I could make Bella some food.

"Yessir, Chef Sir," she saluted me as she exited with a giggle and I turned to the stove, shaking my head at her antics.

I quickly got some water boiling as I sliced up some andouille sausage and peeled and deveined the last bit of shrimp I had gotten from Pike's Place that morning. I threw a handful of vidalia mustard greens into the pressure cooker with some homemade chicken broth and some diced bacon. With the greens cooking, knowing that they'd be ready shortly, I heated my skillet and threw the sausage in.

The water came to a boil and I threw in my course ground grits and a generous pinch of sea salt, giving them a quick stir as I scooped the crispy sausage from the pan and tossed the shrimp in to cook off in the sausage drippings. I continued stirring the grits as I monitored the shrimp. Once the grits had thickened and were cooked, I stirred in some butter, cream and a handful of irish cheddar cheese, then poured the delectable mix onto a fluted edged plate. I removed the shrimp and placed them across the center, ladling out the sausage on top.

I set the plate to the side just as the pressure cooker started in with it's high pitched squeal. Releasing the valve, I scooped out the greens, straining them thoroughly, and then spooning them onto the side of the plate.

I checked the butter cakes, content they had another twenty minutes to go, and grabbed the specially prepared plate. My hand towel tossed over my shoulder, I made my way out to the dining room, stopping to grab the pitcher of sweet tea before making my way over to her.

She was busy looking at something on her phone when I stepped up to the side of her table, and didn't seem to notice my arrival. I slid the plate in front of her and she froze when I began speaking.

"It is with great pleasure that I have prepared one of my favorites, low country shrimp and grits with andouille sausage and vidalia mustard greens. Bon appetito."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**BPOV**

Freshly showered, and very stuffed, I crawled into the big fluffy bed. Tucking the luxurious comforter up under my chin, I closed my eyes and smiled. Big. Chef Edward had been nothing short of amazing.

From the moment I had heard his lyrical deep voice begin describing what he had prepared for me, I'd been entranced. I'd frozen at the sound of it, in fact. Taking a moment to regain my wits, I had finally, very slowly, run my eyes from his bright blue crocs up his legs, over his blue and white striped apron that contained what had to be a toned chest, to his chiseled jaw line and to his face.

Dear god, his face. I could have feasted on that sight alone... for hours. His rosy lips and piercing grey green eyes, his beyond 5:00 stubble smattered across his cheeks and jaw, all topped with hair the color of burnished bronze.

Then those perfect lips were speaking straight to my heart, through my stomach of course, as he detailed my entree, finishing as they shaped around my favorite words of all time... bon appetito.

He'd winked at me as he'd refilled my tea glass, for the third time, and then stood by, watching me intently as I'd arranged my first bite and lifted it to my mouth. It was exquisite.

The grits were creamy and rich, the sausage was crispy without being burnt, the shrimp were perfectly done... which is often a feat in itself... and the greens, well they had just the right amount of bitterness. All together, it was a party of flavor and texture in my mouth.

I might have gone a little overboard relaying my gratitude to him for the food, gushing profusely about how wonderful it tasted. But he had just stood there, with a happy grin, listening to my rambling. I'd even offered him my fork, making him take a bite of his own creation.

Who does that?

I squealed out into my empty hotel room, because apparently I did that, and he didn't run screaming from the crazy lady.

Well, he had left, but he had a kitchen to run after all.

What was more important was that he came back. With coffee and the most awesome butter cake I'd ever had the pleasure of partaking of. It had been really hard not to lick the crumbs off of my plate. But I'd resisted, because he'd joined me for coffee and cake... at my table.

We'd chatted about this and that, as I tried to keep my personal details out of the conversation. Now, laying here, I was feeling guilty about that. I wasn't sure why I hadn't just come clean and told him why I was really here, that I was due to be back in his restaurant in five days to formally critique him.

I focused on the why for a minute, trying to figure it out as I shifted around trying to get more comfortable. Deciding suddenly that I was too hot, I threw off the comforter and yanked my nightie off, sighing when the cool air hit my nipples. I flopped back down, my fingers tracing lazy patterns along my chest and arms, dipping lower to tease my nipples as I remembered Edward.

How easy it was to talk to him.

How happy his laugh was.

How really fucking good his food was.

How he was... just perfect.

That's when it all fell into place. He had been himself with me, just as I had been simply Bella with him. He hadn't been falling over himself trying to impress Isabella Swan, food critic.

It was with that enlightened thought that I slipped from the bed, grabbed one of my toys and sent myself off to dreamland, riding the Edward induced waves of O.

**xXx**

The next morning found me pacing my hotel room. I'd slept in until almost eleven and was very refreshed and energized. And hungry.

My problem was now trying to decide whether I just kept my distance. I could order room service, I could even go find another restaurant, but I wanted to go back to Alice's and see what Edward would cook for me.

The sensible part of my brain was telling me to stay away, keep it professional. I had to go back to Phoenix in less than a week. It would do neither one of us any good to develop any kind of attachment. That could only end in confused heartache.

The less sensible part, the part that had been nagging at me to get off the road and find something more, was begging me to go try Edward's stuffed french toast. He had boasted of it last night, I think in an informal invitation to come back today.

Fluffy sweet bread, filled with italian mascarpone goodness, topped with a delightful compote of raspberries... His words flowed through my mind, making me hunger to eat his offerings and hear him talk more about food. Yeah, I was going after the french toast. Not Edward, not at all. It was all about the food.

The parking lot was empty when I arrived and that surprised me. I was further surprised when I approached the door and noticed that they were closed on Tuesdays. Had I misunderstood? Had he not invited me back today specifically, just sometime in the future?

Defeated, I started to turn to return to my car when the door opened behind me.

"Bella, you came."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**EPOV**

I was going to wear holes in the crazy checkerboard patterned floor if I didn't stop pacing back and forth.

Had I misread her last night? We'd been getting on so well and as it came time to wind down and close up, I'd blurted out about the french toast. Inviting her back here this morning to make it with me, since this was the one day a week we were closed.

It was crazy, I know. I'd only just met her, and briefly at that, but I wanted to spend more time with her, wanted to get to know everything about her. It hadn't been until after I'd gotten home and tried going to sleep, tried being the operative word, that it had dawned on me that she hadn't really said much about herself. She'd let me monopolize the conversation.

I fisted my hair, groaning as I recalled every nuance of the night before. From watching her lips wrap around the fork on her first bite, to the amused shock I'd felt when she demanded that I take a bite from that same fork. From watching her suck down the tea like she had just returned, parched and dry, from a desert, to listening to her womanly voice praise me repeatedly over the experimental cake.

I hadn't been able to get those images out of my head last night as I had stroked myself to a mind blowing orgasm in my shower, thinking of how it would feel to run my fingers through her silky blonde hair as I pulled her tiny soft body up next to my hard, solid one, just before I laid her out on my work table and made a delectable feast out of her.

Good god, the things I could coat her in... honey drizzled on her lips, and then thoroughly kissed clean, warm chocolate ladled over her ass to slowly be licked away, fresh berries tucked into her warm heat to be slurped out messily, even swirling her nipples in Nutella, or that scrumptious Texas pecan butter I'd made, and taking my time to divest her of every thick dollop.

And now, I was stuck with a hard salami again.

Why did I let my mind go there... again? It was after eleven and she hadn't shown, obviously I had misread her last night.

It was with that sad realization that I went to the kitchen and put away the eggs I'd set out to get to room temperature and quickly returned the unused clean dishes to their rightful places. I switched the lights off and headed out the front door, only to come up short when I saw her golden locks shimmering in the sunlight as she stepped towards her car.

"Bella, you came," I said quietly, unsure what had taken her so long or how long she'd been out here. I had left the door unlocked for her.

"Edward!" She spun around to face me and my heart stuttered a little a the look of pure joy on her face. "I'm sorry, I overslept, and then when I woke up, I couldn't figure out if you'd actually invited me here or not, and then I decided to come anyways and was confused that the diner was closed and..."

"Bella," I cut in, reaching out to grab her hands that were flailing around in the air as she rambled.

She stopped, taking a deep breath, pulling the corner of her lower lip between her teeth as she looked up at me from under her lashes bashfully. Becoming emboldened, I reached forward and tugged her lip free, letting my hand linger on her cheek as my thumb caressed the now puffy part of her lip.

Like magnets, we gravitated towards each other, our eyes staying focused on the other as I lowered my head, seeking out her mouth. I brushed my lips over hers, giving her a chance to back away, leaving no doubt as to my intent to kiss her. To claim her.

But she didn't pull away. Instead, she pushed up on her toes, offering herself to me willing.

When her lips crashed into mine, the shock forced me to stumble back against the door, pulling her with me so that she ended up pressed along my front.

Just like in my shower fantasy last night.

I instantly went from so much meat to a summer sausage, the head spilling up and out of the top of my low rise jeans. Gathering her in my arms, I lifted her up so that her toes barely brushed the ground, and I kissed her.

I kissed her with all I had, slowly letting her back down, sliding her down my rigid body. Enough of my dick was out that when the hem of her shirt got caught on me, further movement made me slide along her silky smooth skin.

"Oh shit," I whimpered into her mouth. She responded by raising her arms up to wrap her small hands around my neck. Her shirt pulled further up and I felt her taut muscles move against me.

I dipped, wrapping my large hands around her ass, and lifted. Stepping fully into the building, I kicked the door closed and proceeded to carry Bella back to the kitchen.

I had another fantasy to make real.

When I reached the steel counter, I slid my hands up her ass, lifting her skirt out of the way as much as I could before I set her down on the cold metal.

She broke the kiss to squeal, and I used the opportunity.

"Bella," I waited till she was looking at me. "I want you. I want to fuck you. Right here, right now. I am going to make you cum on my dick, and then I am going to lay you out and spread you open. With a few choice ingredients, I am going to turn you into a divine feast. That I intend to eat every last bite of until you cum for me again. After that, I am going to spear you with my dick and fuck you until we both cum so hard we can't see straight."

While explaining my intentions, I had reached under the bottom edge of her skirt and worked her spunky pink and orange panties down off of one leg so that they now dangled from her calf. My jeans were undone and down around my calves as I tried to kick them off. After a couple of failed attempts, I couldn't take it anymore, I grabbed under her thighs and slid her forward. Her ass squeaked as I pulled her over the metal, but when she reached the edge and kept right on sliding onto my dick, I almost lost it. She was sopping wet.

And she hadn't even cum yet!

"Naughty Bella," I teased her as I pulled out slowly before slamming back into her. "Pretending to be the sweet Southern belle last night, when you're really a saucy vixen."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**BPOV**

I'd known as soon as his eyes locked on me... this was going to happen. I wanted this to happen. So I'd taken the proverbial jump and lifted up off my feet to remove any hesitation from the equation. And now...

Now he was whispering deliciously naughty things to me as he stretched me with his impressive girth. My meek toys had nothing on Chef Edward's rolling pin and it was going to be pure misery going back to relying on them when this... fling... was over, and I returned to walking amongst mere mortals once again.

But I had right now.

Right now with Edward.

Right now was what mattered.

What really mattered was him pushing in and out of me, drawing strangled whimpers and pants from my throat as I clawed at him, trying to pull him closer. My mouth fell open each time he withdrew and my eyes rolled back each time he slammed into me.

Until finally I was shattering, falling apart around him as he hit my sweet spot. I began convulsing and my heeled sandals slipped from feet, falling to the floor with a loud clatter.

He gave me a minute to come down from my orgasmic high before he lifted me off the counter. I wrapped my legs around his waist as we got lost in another breath stealing kiss.

I gasped when my naked ass was set down on another cold surface. I looked around with blurry eyes to see that he had moved me to the large prep table in the center of the kitchen.

He continued placing soft kisses on me as he lifted my top off, dropping it to the floor before he pulled his own shirt free and then taking his pants the rest of the way off. I giggled as I looked down and realized all he had on were his socks and his hard on.

He smirked at me as he leaned in, his lips feathered over my skin as he pushed my bra straps down, his warm hands came around my back, seeking out the clasp that once he unhooked it, and slid the material forward and off to add to the growing pile on the floor, bared my breasts to him. He snaked his tongue out to flicker down my collar bone towards the swell of my breasts, then further down until he was swirling his strong tongue around first one taut nipple and then the other.

I whimpered, wanting so much more, but too bashful to put it into words and ask. As if he could read my mind, he carefully laid me back, capturing my nipples in his mouth again when I arched up off the cold metal. I slowly sank back down as I adjusted to the temperature.

He walked down my body, trailing his long fingers down my leg to my ankle, which he grabbed and pulled towards the corner of the table. I giggled when he pulled a dishtowel from the drawer and quickly tied my ankle to the leg.

I began panting when he did the same with my other ankle to the opposite table leg.

It became full on moaning as he tied my wrists to the table legs above me. I'd never been bound like this, and I was finding it exciting, especially since I was hoping he was about to follow through on his promise to turn me into a feast.

Once my second wrist was secured, he moved in to kiss me again, his fingers dancing lightly over my breasts. Pulling back, his eyes were a blazing green as he whispered, "I'm hungry."

**EPOV**

I wasn't sure what prompted me to tie her down, it just seemed right. And I didn't want her wiggling too much, we were about to make enough of a mess as it was.

Opening the refrigerator, my eyes quickly scanned the well stocked shelves to see what I had to play with. I grabbed a few things and headed back to my bound beauty, stopping at the cupboard to grab a couple more items before I set everything down on the table.

I picked up the Hershey's syrup and, starting at her ankle, drizzled it up the length of her leg, did a couple of loop-de-loos over her tummy and pussy and then drizzled it back down her other leg.

I smeared my finger through some of the chocolate and brought it up to her lips. She wrapped her pouty lips around my fingertip, sucking it deep into her mouth as her cheeks hollowed out and I shuddered under her ministrations.

Taking my finger back, I kissed her mouth leisurely as I slinked my hand down to her core, sliding one, then two fingers into her. I wanted to check her depth because when she had been wrapped around my dick, all I had been able to feel was tightness.

I slipped my fingers out and made sure she watched me lick them clean. With a groan, she tried to pull her thighs together and I smirked at her, shaking my head. Opening the berries, I hurried to the sink to rinse them off and then returned to her. With the utmost care, I pulled her open with one hand and proceeded to fill her warm little hole with blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. As a final tease, I offered one of the perfect strawberries to her, gripping myself as her mouth dropped open to accept the sweet treat.

She bit into it and the juice ran from the corner of her mouth, down into the crevice of her neck. I lowered my mouth to her flesh, letting my tongue follow the path of the juice as she shifted her head to the side to give me room.

"Mmmm, what should I add to my Bella dessert next?" I teased her, standing next to her once again as my fingers toyed with her nipples. I reached for the cold stick of butter and brought it up into her line of sight so she could watch me unwrap and peel the paper back from it.

I gathered one breast firmly in my hand, causing it to bulge over my fingers and her hard peak to jut out further. She hissed when I brought the cold butter to her bud and began swirling it, slowly, circling outward as her body heat softened the butter. When I was done, I had coated her entire breast and I lovingly repeated my moves on her other breast.

I was just about to set the butter back down, when I noticed the red silicone rolling pin out of the corner of my eye and a naughty thought came to mind. Well, naughtier than what I'd already come up with.

"Bella?" I said softly as I rubbed the butter along her inner thighs. "Do you trust me?"

She lifted her head from the table, her breasts heaving because of her panting, and nodded. "Do anything you want, Edward. You haven't disappointed me yet, and I don't know when I'll get a chance like this again," she lowered her voice on the last part of her sentence. We both knew she was just passing through and I didn't want to dwell on it anymore than she did, so I distracted her.

Setting the butter down, I grabbed her hips and pulled her towards the edge of the table, as far as her arms would allow her. I decided it wasn't enough so I released her hands, leaving her ankles tied, and pulled her down to the edge, forcing her knees to bend and fall outwards.

I retrieved the butter and ran it along her ass crack, applying more pressure on each pass up and down, gradually working it into her rosebud.

"Oh god, Edward..."

Once most of the butter was melted in and on her, I discarded the rest in the trash and picked up the shaker of cinnamon/sugar and returned my attention to her breasts, coating them in the sweet and spicy dust, the butter ensuring it stuck to her. A little of it drifted towards her face and she sneezed as the cinnamon made its way into her nose.

After itching her nose for her, I retrieved the can of whipped cream and covered her pussy, and the berries that were spilling out of it, in the airy confection. Standing back to appraise my creation, I knew one more thing was needed... honey... which I drizzled across her lips just like I'd wanted to last night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**BPOV**

****The man was trying to kill me.

I was going to die from sensation overload, I was pretty sure of it. Or so I'd thought.

Until his tongue started tracing the chocolate trail he'd left on my leg, then I'd become certain of it. I lifted myself up onto my elbows so I could see what he had done to me as well as watch him try to clean me up. That didn't last as I let my head fall back and closed my eyes, just giving myself over to the sensational experience.

I was sticky everywhere and aroused beyond all compare, despite the awesome orgasm he'd already given me. I was quickly spiraling towards another one just from the idea of what we were doing, settling into my brain.

Then something hard was pressing against my backside. I tensed up, surprised by the action. "What is that?" I asked, afraid he was going to try to push his behemoth dick back there, and while I had played with toys like that, I knew I couldn't handle him.

His mirth vibrated against my thigh as his mouth pressed into me while he laughed and applied more pressure to whatever he was sliding into me, spreading me open with.

He lifted his mouth from my thigh as I lifted my head and we stared at each other, the item in my backside being extracted, and then slid forward again in short pulses.

"Rolling pin," he admitted as he pushed it in again. He kept up the pleasing torture on my ass as he licked me clean of all the chocolate, and then used the rolling pin to push me back on the table enough that he could leave it in me and let it lay on the table.

He walked around to the head of the table and climbed up on it, his knees by my head. "Are you enjoying yourself, Bella?" he asked, and I nodded rapidly. "Mmmmm, good, because I am enjoying you as well," he said, dropping his mouth to mine and letting me taste the cocoa on his tongue.

He pulled back, licking his lips as he murmured 'strawberries and honey', and then returned his tongue to my skin. He sucked and lapped at the honey he'd coated my mouth in, before moving to my breasts where he worked on the mess he'd left there. He lifted his mouth long enough to declare that "bellaroll" was now his favorite.

I had reached the point that I was starting to thrash about as he nudged me into madness with every lap of his tongue and scrape of his teeth. I was sure by the time his mouth reached the berries, he would find them macerated into a gelatinous goo from the clenching I was doing.

I didn't have time to think about it much longer, however, as he crawled down my body, his tongue dragging over my abdomen, heading towards the promised land while he provided me with the opportunity to partake of my own veritable feast.

In the form of his leaking dick hovering just above my mouth as he prepared to descend into his own berry nirvana. I extended my tongue, swiping at the drop that was threatening to break free and drop onto me. Having captured the viscous pearl, I curled my tongue back in and let it sit there briefly before swallowing and opening my mouth for more.

He had been watching me down the length of his body and he groaned loudly as his hips jutted forward, impaling his length in my mouth at the same time he lowered his mouth to me. I felt him slurping against my outer folds, cleaning me of the melting whipped cream as I brought a hand up to grip the base of his thickness and stroke what wouldn't fit into my mouth.

I pumped, licked and sucked as he literally sucked the berries out of me, one by one, and I felt my core emptying as my flesh swelled under his talented tongue. As he feasted on me, he resumed fucking my ass with the rolling pin, making me squirm uncontrollably. He continued to dribble a tiny stream of pre into my mouth and I lapped at him for more, just like a thirsty kitten.

I was sure that if anyone had come into the restaurant, they would have thought the place was haunted from the sounds emitting from the kitchen. Growls. Moans. Squeals.

He was definitely keeping his promise and I could only love him for that. Especially as I shattered again just as he was licking the last drops of berry juice from my now over sensitive clit, at the same time that he pulled the pin free and dropped it to the floor with a loud thunk.

Despite my best efforts, he was resisting letting go and cumming in my mouth... he either had the stamina of an immortal or I was out of practice. Knowing it was probably the latter, I chose to believe the former... just because this was my time, my moment of make believe come true.

I was still seeing pretty little colored dots swirling in front of my eyes when he extracted his length from my mouth and placed a final kiss at the top of my slit. He quickly climbed off the table and turned himself around to face me.

"Are you ready to be speared, Bella?" he growled at me as he untied my ankles. I might as well have been a souffle for all the stiffness I had left in my limbs when he pulled me upright into a sitting position. I gave him a dopey grin as he shook his head at me and moved in for a kiss that made things wiggle deep in my belly.

When the kiss came to a natural end, and he had left a thick splotch of goo on my thigh where the head of his dick had been rubbing, he helped me off the table and turned me around. He gently pressed against my neck, encouraging me to lie forward. I caught on and quickly acquiesced.

The cold metal of the table was exquisite against my nipples which were extra tender from all the sucking and biting he had done. He grabbed my hips and moved in behind me as he lifted me slightly and... speared me just like he had promised.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**EPOV**

****My mouth was thoroughly coated in sweetness and Bella.

This was proving to be the kinkiest, hottest sex I had ever had and I barely knew the woman. But fuck me if we didn't have chemistry. Like eggs, sugar and cream creating the perfect custard kind of chemistry.

Each thing we moved onto felt better than the last, and I could only count my blessings that I was getting to experience this for real and not just in my nocturnal wanderings.

Taking her, bent over the table like this, allowed me to plunder her depths and feel almost all of her heat wrapped around me. There were drawbacks to having a long schlong... like never getting it all in, but her body was doing its damnedest to take all of me in and damn, did it feel good.

She had made some pretty sweet noises up to this point, but as I started drilling her doggy style, profanities laced with grunts and begging began falling from her lips and they only made me harder.

I was so close, I'd held my orgasm at bay as long as I thought was humanly possible. It had been quite the feat, resisting her enchanting ministrations, and the time was upon me. My stomach was coiled, my nipples were throbbing and my balls had pulled up tight... when I blew my load, it was going to be huge.

"Bella, I need to cum but I need you to cum with me. Can you do that, love? Can you cum one more time for me?" I purred at her as I slowed my pace. She nodded her head 'yes' as she panted out a 'no' and I laughed.

I'd fucked her senseless.

Go me.

I managed to work a hand underneath her, seeking out her puffy nub which I pinched softly between two long fingers as my other hand sought out her ass, still heavily greased from the butter. I pushed my thumb into her, allowing the rest of my hand to splay out over her ass and proceeded to pummel her as my thumb slipped in and out and her nub rubbed between my fingers.

When she clenched and I felt my hand fill with liquid from her ejaculation, I barely was able to pull out in time to spray my spunk all over her sweaty back in several intense thick spurts.

"That was..." I gasped as she finished, "Unbelievable."

"You can say that again," I laughed as I slumped to the floor, taking her with me.

About ten minutes later we had recovered enough to move, and I realized that the kitchen was going to need a bleach overhaul before I could cook in it again. Bella offered to help, but she looked utterly spent and I felt bad asking her to help when it was my fuckery to begin with.

I helped her get her clothes back on and encouraged her to go back to her hotel to clean up and get a nap, telling her I would swing by later and take her out for a proper meal, since our breakfast 'date' had not resulted in any food making it into her stomach. I did, however, heat up a slice of leftover spinach and pancetta quiche, which she inhaled gratefully before making her way out to her car with her sleepy eyes. I told her to drive carefully as I gave her one final tender kiss, tapped the top of her rental and watched her pull away.

I went back inside, never happier to clean up a mess.

**xXx**

About five hours later I had completely decontaminated the kitchen. The towels were in the dryer, having been run through the wash, I'd run the rolling pin through the sanitizer and everything else, counters and floors, had been scrubbed down with bleach. I'd gone back to my small one bedroom apartment and cleaned myself up, and I was now headed over to the Fairmont, to collect Bella for our evening out.

I let out a low whistle as I entered the opulent lobby, a little surprised she was staying somewhere so nice. As I approached the front desk, it dawned on me that I had no idea what Bella did for a living, but judging by the hotel, it had to be something that paid rather well. If she was used to this kind of living, could I ever be enough for her?

"Good afternoon, welcome to the Fairmont, how can I be of service?" said the polished gentleman behind the desk when I stepped up.

"Could you please ring room 1169 to announce my arrival?" I asked. I could've just gone up to her room, but I really wanted to get her properly fed this time and was afraid that if I picked her up at her room, we might not leave.

I was smiling as the desk clerk clicked away on his computer, until he looked up at me and said the words that turned my stomach inside out.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but that guest checked out about two hours ago."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**BPOV**

It didn't take me long to get back to the hotel and into the hot shower. As I gingerly washed myself, the events of the last, was it two hours, three, ran through my mind on repeat. Without a doubt, Edward Masen was the sexiest man I'd ever encountered or given myself to.

And it was all a lie.

My stomach began to ache over the knowledge that I hadn't told him I was there to critique him. To judge him. For once in my adult life, I'd put 'me' ahead of the job and I didn't know how to feel about that.

Each pass of the soapy poof over my skin wiped away the carelessness I'd allowed myself to indulge in. With each clean area that appeared, more common sense returned, until finally there was no trace of Edward left on me. On my skin anyways.

In a panic over the strong reaction, the pull, I'd had to him, I decided I had to get out of here. Everything was at risk if I stayed. My career that I'd worked so very hard to establish was in jeopardy. My heart and my sanity were at stake as well.

I convinced myself that I'd done what I'd come here to do. I'd visited the restaurant and sampled the... food. I had what I needed to do the article. In that vein, I hastily packed up my bags as I called the airlines to change my ticket before calling Angela to briefly explain something had come up and I had to get back home.

Seven hours later and I was walking into my empty, sterile apartment, the hub of my lonely existence.

I managed to get inside and close the door before I slumped to the floor, letting my bags just land where they might as the tears started to flow relentlessly.

What had I done?

**xXx**

It took three days before I dragged my sorry ass free of the funk I'd been in since walking through the door, and as I slowly rejoined the land of the living, I seriously considered returning to my bed and pulling the covers back over my head.

My phone was filled with missed messages and texts.

From Lauren, wanting to know when she could expect my write up.

From Dr. Cope's office, reminding me of the appointment for my annual check up next week.

From the Fairmont, following up to make sure I'd enjoyed my stay.

From Angela, wanting to know what the hell had happened between Edward and I because the diner had been closed since I left and all she could get out of Alice was that it was something to do with me. Not because Alice was being stubborn, but because all Alice could get out of Edward was my name, Bella.

Did that mean he missed me? Was it possible I'd affected him as much as he'd affected me?

I shook off that thought. I couldn't allow myself to believe that. I'd never been more than the woman behind the words, nothing special. No matter how much I wished I was, wished I could be... to him.

As was the way of my life, I lost myself in the words as I booted up the laptop and set to writing the article on Alice's Diner. The meal I was describing for my review seemed so very bland compared to the repast that I remembered so vividly in my head and heart.

**EPOV**

Alice was pissed. There was no other way to describe it. In all the years I'd been with her and Jasper, I'd never seen her this mad. While I deserved all the ire she showed me, I couldn't bring myself to care, or do more than whimper her name.

I knew what the diner meant. The fact that I was letting my personal problems keep me from getting into the kitchen was not cool. I had tried though.

Everytime I walked into the kitchen I was inundated with memories. Flashes of having her on the counter, on the prep table. I could still taste her on my tongue. I could still hear her whimpers and groans echoing off the steel appliances.

So I found myself switching the light off and walking right back out. I just couldn't be in that space with all the reminders.

Reminders of how instantaneously we had been perfect together.

Reminders of how she had obviously not felt the same way.

**xXx**

A little over two weeks had passed since I'd found, and lost, Bella. I was back to cooking, but it didn't hold any pleasure for me anymore.

It had been about a week after Bella disappeared that Alice finally snapped me out of my pity party for one. She had stopped by my apartment that evening to ask how the interview with Isabella Swan had gone.

The interview that I had completely forgotten about and not been present for because I'd been moping.

That was when I realized that not only was I failing myself, but I had failed Alice and the memory of Jasper. Having an article written up and published in Eclectic Tastes would have put the diner on the map, made it a place of legend in the food world, and I'd blown it.

By being selfish.

So the diner was open for business again, I was taking full advantage of Seth as my sous chef and making sure he did all the prep... because I still couldn't go near the prep table. I'd put a call into the magazine, attempting to make my apologies and to see if there was any way to get the interview rescheduled.

So far they hadn't called me back.

**xXx**

It's funny how, with time and routine, things can go back to normal. Hurts fade. Wounds heal. Then a single event, be it something as simple as a song or a smell, can yank you forcefully right back into the center of your misery.

Today was one of those days where I kept getting yanked back every time I turned around. A month had now elapsed and I'd done better with each day that passed until I walked into the kitchen this morning to find that Seth had left the pecans out... again. I caved and sent him across the street to get the pecans from the store as I set about starting the prep.

Leaning against the edge of the prep table, I was deluged with the memories, all of it tossing around in my head as if I were folding the ingredients carelessly into a batter.

Groundhog's Day anyone? But instead of getting mad, at first I actually found myself hoping that this meant Bella would walk back into the diner before the day was over... and this time I wouldn't let her out of my sight.

As the day wore on, though, she didn't appear magically with more pecans. This month's issue of Eclectic Tastes did, however, show up.

Alice came prancing into the kitchen with the magazine in her hands and a huge smile on her face, leaving me completely confused.

"Good afternoon, Edward," she said giddily, the offensive item tucked against her chest, hiding the cover from me.

"Afternoon, Alice, what's up?" I asked stoically as I kept working on chopping up the carrots, onions and celery to restock my mirepoix container.

She rocked from side to side. "Ya got a minute to read something?" she asked, her eyes dropping down to the magazine and then back up to me.

"Not really, kinda busy here," I snapped as I waved the knife over the vegetables. She giggled.

"Oh, I think that can wait. Trust me, you'll want to read this," she stated as she tapped the glossy paper.

I set the knife down roughly. "Why?"

She turned it around and my mouth fell open as I saw myself staring back at me from the cover.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**BPOV**

I was scared to death.

I was excited and giddy.

I was putting all my faith in Alice and trusting that she wasn't wrong about this.

I'd been able to write up the article, pouring all my recollection of being with him into describing the atmosphere of the restaurant, the shrimp and grits, the cake and the best sweet tea I'd ever had. I truly felt like it was the best piece I'd ever written. What I hadn't done, because of my abrupt departure, was get any pictures of him or the business.

In a moment of desperation I'd looked her up, as the owner of the business, and called her, hoping she could procure a picture of Chef Edward at work. The conversation had gone surprisingly well and by the time we'd hung up, with her promise of getting the photos I needed, I knew my life was changing.

For the better.

I hoped.

I needed better, especially after the call I'd received just that morning from Dr. Cope's office with the news that my blood work had been abnormal.

Lauren had been beside herself when I submitted the article, the last page of which had included my resignation. It had been nothing to buy my way out of the remainder of my lease on the apartment. As for my personal belongings? They were just things, meaningless materialistic items that could be replaced.

What couldn't be replaced, a fact that I'd finally come to accept, was the feeling I'd had while in Edward's arms. Alice had assured me he felt the same way.

Which is why I was now standing by the register in Alice's Diner, while Alice took the special copy of the magazine back to the kitchen for him to read.

I nervously looked around the establishment as I waited for her to come back out, my fingers drumming on the box of pastries I'd brought with me. The lights were dimmed, the customers cleared out and the door locked.

Alice had had Seth intentionally leave the pecans out again, thinking it would be funny. I had to admit, it was humorous.

My head snapped up when she came hurrying through the door from the kitchen.

"Come on, Bella, hurry up. He's reading it right now... we don't have long!" she squealed out in a whisper as she descended upon me like a small tornado.

She was tugging at the belt of the trench coat I'd worn as she pulled me over to the large table in the center of the dining room. I should have been embarrassed to be exposing myself to her like this, but she didn't seem fazed at all... just on a mission.

I was giggling as I laid my naked body down on the table, flinching at the coldness. I then had to fight to not laugh hysterically as she began decorating me with the little delectable goodies from the pastry box.

"Are you sure about this, Alice?" I hissed at her.

"Oh definitely... he's going to love it!" she exclaimed as she twisted my blonde locks and moved them over my shoulder so they didn't get in the desserts. She stepped back and looked me over as I stuck my finger into the frosting of one of the treats and licked at my finger, humming at the sweet flavor.

"Yep, he'll love it... especially if he catches you sucking on that finger," she winked at me before giving my bare ass a small pat and walking away towards the front door. "Have fun... and congratulations!" she whispered as she disappeared through the front door, locking it behind her.

**EPOV**

I tentatively set the knife down and wiped my hands on the towel slung over my shoulder as I walked around the table to take the magazine from her hands.

The article had happened, but when? How?

I stared at the cover, remembering a couple of weeks ago when Alice came in while I was working on pie crusts, shouting out a 'say cheese' and clicking the camera just as I'd looked up.

Did she have something to do with this?

I finally worked up the nerve to open the magazine and find the article... and I began reading.

When you first pull up to Alice's Diner, it is unassuming and simple. It could be any strip mall eatery, but don't let its exterior fool you. Inside, a culinary experience like no other awaits you. From the cheerful recorded greeting of the original owner, Alice Whitlock, ringing out in the small space to the most luscious butter cake you will ever have melt on your tongue, Alice's Diner should definitely be made a priority if you are ever in Seattle.

I continued to read, trying to figure out when Ms. Swan had made her stealth visit. Her words, her descriptions, were causing me to taste the meal she was describing and I suddenly dropped the magazine, remembering the last time I had actually tasted the shrimp and grits dish.

Surely Bella wasn't? Isabella, Bella...what if she was?

My mind racing, I bent over and grabbed the magazine back up, quickly turning the page to finish reading the article and I gasped. At the bottom of the page was a picture. The mysterious Isabella Swan had been revealed... as she announced that this was the final time the column, Flavor Is All Around, would be written because she was retiring from journalism.

I longingly traced my finger over her delicate features, all the pain and bitter loneliness of the last month crashing down on me.

She was more beautiful than I remembered, the picture making her look professional and sensual all at the same time.

Her identity revealed to me, I went back and re-read the article again, this time having it affect me on a visceral level as I recalled everything she was describing from that night. When I reached her farewell, I read it slowly, as if it wouldn't be true if I didn't absorb the words.

In reviewing this article, just before it goes to print, I have had things beyond my control happen in my life. Things that have made me realize I have been hiding behind this column but not really living. I will never regret the time I've spent with Eclectic Tastes, but I am announcing my journalism retirement.

The path of my life has offered me a new, unexplored branch. A branch that hopefully includes love, but definitely includes new beginnings. A new life, in so many ways.

I have found the Chef that satisfies my eclectic tastes and have no desire to pursue any new adventures, unless they are with him.

Farewell faithful readers.

I read and re-read the words. My heart swelling each time I did. Dare I hope I was the Chef she was referring to?

I turned to the last page, seeing if there was anything else, anything I could go on, and found a post-it note with scratchy handwriting.

Hello my Chef, we are waiting to have dessert with you

B&B

****What the...?

"Alice!" I cried out as I headed for the door to the dining area, convinced she definitely knew what was going on and could explain the note to me.

But the dining room was empty, save for a bare blonde beauty draped in confections.

"Bella?" I choked out as I rubbed my eyes, not believing what I was seeing.

She dipped her finger into the icing of a small cake in front of her and I watched as she brought it to her mouth, "Hello, Edward."

I crossed the room in three strides, not knowing why she had left or why I hadn't heard from her, and not caring. Because she was here now.

I gathered her in my arms, pulling her tightly to me as I tasted the chocolate on her lips and tongue and felt myself harden as her bare breasts pushed into my chest.

"Not that I'm not thrilled to see you, Bella, but your note said 'we'?" I asked as I freed her mouth to let her breathe and I continued ravishing her jaw and neck.

She grabbed my hands, stilling my pawing and brought them to her smooth stomach. "The best Chefs are the ones who aren't afraid to beget new and unique creations."

She looked up at me through her lashes, nibbling on her lip as she waited for me to understand what she was saying. I ran her words over in my head as her thumbs rubbed soothing circles over my hands on her belly.

belly... beget... we...

B&B... Bella and baby...

Oh shit.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Epilogue**

Bella had been in my life for eight glorious months and she was a perfect fit. Alice had gifted the diner to us as a wedding present and was looking forward to her own retirement and just being a customer.

Thankfully, though, she'd kept working in order to show Bella the ropes of running the dining room and doing the books. She was also planning on staying around until Bella had the baby and was ready to come back full time.

I looked up at the picture that hung above the stove and smiled. My wife, draped in a black cloth as her hands supported the weight of her full, round belly smiled back at me.

It was my favorite shot from the pregnancy shoot that Angela had insisted on doing for us. My second favorite, the one of us together as she reclined back against me with the forest behind us, hung out in the main dining room.

Bella had griped when I first put it up, but I'd put my foot down, telling her it was going to be the first of many family photos as this was a family diner and I was extremely proud of my growing family. She had gotten all teary at my sentiment. I might have also distracted her with a bottle of honey and my peach cobbler.

I was busy stirring my alfredo sauce, watching the asiago, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses melting into cheesy goodness when Seth came barreling into the kitchen from the front, a look of terror on his face.

"Chef! Alice... Bella... baby!" he panted, pointing back the way he'd just come.

Somehow I remained calm, more worried about handing the kitchen over to him than the fact that I was about to be a father. I had to put my trust in him. He'd come a long way and as long as he didn't burn the place down, all would be good.

After a quick pep talk, that might have included some subtle threatening, I rushed out front, collected my wife and headed to the hospital.

Twelve hours later I gazed down into the eyes of my greatest creation yet... Charlotte Anise Masen.

She was perfect.

Tiny.

A pure confection... just like her mother.

And it didn't take long for me to give her a place of honor on the menu, by adding charlotte russe to the dessert selection... and a picture of Bella and little Charlie to the wall.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! We'll keep our fingers crossed that FF doesn't yank this down. If you're going to pick any of my stories to go grab the PDF enhanced with pictures, this is the one to do it. JA Mash did amazing manips for this in addition to some extra pics I found online. Link to my dropbox is on my profile.**

**xoxo, **

**texasbella**


End file.
